REVIEWS
|
MAC No PC Yes
PRICE
Ł386; upgrade Ł175
CONTACT
Corel
01628 589800
www.corel.co.uk
ABOVE: The CorelDRAW interface is
FEATURES
clean, despite a wealth of new features
" Corel PowerTRACE added
" Pixmantec RawShooter
BELOW: Raw image processing is now
essentials added
provided by RawShooter essentials
" 100 templates, 1,000
OpenType fonts, 35
Windows Glyph List 4 fonts
" New hints system and
extended handbook
" Interactive Fit Text
To Path tool
" Overprints preview
" Open or create password-
protected PDFs
ABOVE: PHOTO-PAINT s effective bitmap editing tools complement CorelDRAW,
putting a pretty comprehensive image-editing suite at the disposal of users " New Vector Crop tool
" Image adjustment lab in
PHOTO-PAINT
" Over 400 enhancements
and 40 new features
CorelDRAW X3
SYSTEM
AN IMPRESSIVE-LOOKING SUITE OF TOOLS, BUT HOW DOES IT COMPARE WITH THE BIG GUNS?
" Pentium III 600MHz, 256MB
RAM, 200MB hard drive
aunched over 20 years ago, particular styles such as line art, clip numeric values, and the integrated " Windows 2000, XP, XP
LCorelDRAW Graphics Suite has art or low/high quality. The results file browser enables you to easily Tablet PC
continued to find favour among are every bit as impressive as those access images and apply batch edits.
FOR
designers across the world, despite you can get in Illustrator, although But it is still the vector application
stiff competition from the big names more detailed conversions can be CorelDRAW itself that forms the " Value for money
in vector illustration. heart of this suite, and there are " Powerful tools
Compared with Illustrator, its plenty of improvements to be found. " Self-contained suite of
approach to creating vector graphics Fit Text to Path is now a standard related applications
YOU LL GET SOME
is simplified and this has led many feature in such software, but X3
AGAINST
to believe CorelDRAW isn t quite as introduces a new level of
POWERFUL TOOLS
capable. As its many users will performance that enables you to " Lacks the range of features
testify, however, this simply isn t dynamically position the text away available in Creative Suite
FOR YOUR MONEY IN X3
true. In fact, Corel adopted the from the path. The Smart Fill feature " PHOTO-PAINT is still no
 integrated suite approach long is intelligent enough to recognise match for Photoshop
before Adobe ever did and new almost too precise, with numerous which sections of an image you re
RESOURCE
applications have been added over unnecessary nodes created. Corel is trying to fill without requiring a
time, including the powerful PHOTO- one step ahead, however, and has perfectly enclosed path, and the
VERDICT
PAINT for bitmap image editing and If you regularly added a tool that effectively reduces Crop tool presents another range of
CAPTURE, a useful screengrab tool. use templates the number of nodes should you options not found in Illustrator with A keen price and some powerful
The vector animation program you ll appreciate require this to bring your image back its ability to remove unwanted areas new features should ensure
R.A.V.E. has finally been dropped, the extended within editable reach and lose that without the need to ungroup objects, that CorelDRAW will remain
having proved little competition for downloads more recognisably traced finish. break linked groups apart or convert popular with new and existing
the likes of Macromedia Flash, but available through RawShooter retains its original objects to curves. users working on a tight budget.
this X3 bundle sees the introduction the Community Pixmantec interface, which takes The range of features on offer The inclusion of PHOTO-PAINT
of two additional products: section of the time to get used to. But once you do, may not quite match that provided by and RawShooter essentials will
PowerTRACE and Pixmantec s Corel website you ll find the software is much Adobe Creative Suite, but you do get appeal to those wishing to work
RawShooter essentials. (www.corel.co.uk), more intuitive than Adobe s Camera some powerful core tools for your with bitmaps and digital photos
PowerTRACE provides a range of where you ll also Raw plug-in for Photoshop. Edits are money. Corel s bundle will continue
effective methods of converting find tutorials and applied in real time, so you can to be popular among students and
N/A & & & &
& BETA PREVIEW
bitmap images into vectors, from a some handy tips gauge the amount of editing required those who are on a budget but still
simple quick trace through to more using sliders rather than entering require professional results.
April 2006
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